Magic hands

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Mindy. (This was Homie’s contribution).

Julianna came up with the rest. Mindy and her brother Mack have a cat (Sweetie) and a mouse (Missy, as in Missy Mouse). Their parents have to work very hard and are out of the house most of the time. Mindy and Mack have to fend for themselves.

Fortunately, Mindy has magic hands. She can do anything with her hands, and quickly too. She plants a garden with reddish-pink flowers. She makes dinner (pizza and tomato soup, with cupcakes and chocolate pudding for dessert). She does laundry. She gives baths. The magic hands never get tired.

Julianna insisted on telling me the story of the Magic Hands last night. By then it was 10:30PM, way past her bedtime. Her eyes were wide open, and she moved her arms around vigorously to show me all the things the magic hands could do.

Right now, Julianna can only move her head and her arms (from the elbows down). This was more movement than I’ve seen in a while. I told her I loved the story, but that it was late. I left the room and she was asleep within minutes.

These are the magic hands.

Note that she has different motions for the various tasks

M: What are those hands doing, Julianna?

J: Growing flowers.

M: What else do your hands do?

J: They – make dinner.

M: Good. What else do the magic hands do?

J: Wash clothes like this.

M: Great. What else do the hands do?

J: They take baths like this

Julianna has been a storyteller for quite a while. Her imagination takes us to a world that is bright, fun, startling and lovely (I could use all those words to describe J). In her world, there are no limitations. Trips to the park take just a few seconds (and also include stops for ice cream and lemonade). And Julianna doesn’t need any help in this world: her body is as strong as her spirit.

For the last few months, our friend Christine (featured in the KBS special, “Julianna’s Christmas) has been bringing Julianna’s stories to life. It’s a labor of love, and from the beginning, the goal has been to create a book for Julianna and friends.

The book is nearing completion, but before deciding on a (self) publishing venue, we’d like to get an idea of how many copies we should print (lots of demand=bulk publishing & lower prices). Please see Christine’s website for more information. (A portion of the proceeds will benefit CMTA)

12 thoughts on “Magic hands”

We would love to get the book, love Julianna’s beautiful stories. I know Jessica will love seeing the many adventures Julianna has put in the book. Sending prayers and love from Pedro, Sujin, and Jessica.

I’d definitely purchase a copy of such a book filled with the tales of Julianna’s wonderful imagination. I only recently heard about the circumstances of your family’s situation and her struggle with CMT…at first via the CNN articles and interview…but then by quietly catching up with your blog here and the Korean broadcast documentary you shared over Christmas. Julianna is quite obviously an amazing, precious gift to the world, and thank you so much for sharing her light and your family’s faith with everyone. I’ll see what I can do to boost the signal about your fundraising efforts and the upcoming book among my friends and family.

Prayers from Cynthia. I love your stories Julianna. Your a blessing along with your family as you are as well Christine. I’d like at least 2 books when completed. I would like to share one for sure.
Your gifts in adversity and struggles are powerful.

Michelle, Steve and Alex,
Always a honor to hear from you and follow this amazing and inspiring journey of Julianna and her very
special family. Your daughter is truly a gift from God as well as a labor of love. The photos are priceless!
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you each and every day.
God Bless you,
Valentino
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
1:00pm

Another beautiful moment. Thank you for opening up your lives so others can be blessed by Julianna’s amazing spirit. We would love a copy of this precious book that captures a glimpse of Julianna’s creativity and incredible imagination!

Julianna,
You put a bright smile on my face every time I come to your blog :). If I’m having a tough day at work I will take a break and read a blog post. Thank you for Magic Hands Sweetie! You make my day!

Catching up on my computer, I noticed you were thinking of self publishing a book. My sis-in-law went that route and it was extremely expensive plus they priced the book at $32.95 which is out of the park for most people to buy a novel. I have had two books published but I have used more of a co-op publisher. I pay about $350.00 for printing, he gets the ISBN # and puts it on Amazon. My books sell for $11.95 and I get about 1/4 cost in royalty. I pay half price for any books I may want. This was so much better than the thousands my sis-in-law paid. Please consider it. My publisher is http://www.lighthousechristianpublishing.com, the editor and chief is Andy Overett.